Are you addicted to shopping on Amazon? All in all I have to say it’s convenient – especially if you work from home, have kids, or even live in a climate (hello.. hot Arizona summer heat?) that doesn’t entice you to leave the house.
You can find everything on Amazon Prime – sure, they have your toilet paper, dish soap and baby wipes. .. they have baking dishes, and even corn flour. Have the urge to eat gummy bears? They also have those too.
Amazon is Convenient
I love Amazon. We pay for Amazon each year because we do not have cable – I wouldn’t have it ANY other way. This allows us to stream movies and television shows. We ALSO borrow books, play music and take advantage of the cloud space.
That being said, I joined Amazon Mom early on and love it. I use the subscribe and save option as much as I can for the household. That isn’t to say I don’t venture into a Warehouse Store once in awhile though — but thankfully I’m great at sticking to a budget and I usually don’t go too crazy.
Sometimes Convenience can be Costly
When you shop on Amazon, it’s easy to go overboard – buying things is relatively easy (1-Click on the mobile app..) — you might be tempted to hop on the Amazon app and look for things you think you need – fancy face cream that you heard can fight aging…
OR, the next best self help book that’ll help you overcome stress, encourage you to be more productive, or master the art of saving money. You know you have a problem when you see the UPS man show up and drop off boxes at your house on a daily basis.
Here are some 4 tips to keep in mind if you do any shopping on Amazon.
Sometimes, it pays to shop around. Amazon’s prices aren’t always the lowest — there are times that the convenience factor makes you lean towards Amazon thinking that their selection and their frequent deals will garnish you the item for less. But in reality, sometimes it can be cheaper to pick up those diapers and wipes on Jet.com – or, those boxes of Kleenex the kids need for school that you found for less on Staples.com. Do your checking – it might allow you to spend less.
Time is Money. 1-Click might be handy – especially if you are busy and frequently on the go. An app is always an encouraging thing for busy lives – but don’t go too finger happy with 1-Click either… because then you’ll end up buying on impulse. And while you might need some of those items you are buying, the things that end up being a true impulse purchase might not work for you – leaving you to have to spend time returning (which means time going to the post office or UPS store to drop off, not to mention making labels). Be thoughtful about your purchases.
Use your Wishlist. That wishlist is a great way to save yourself the impulse of 1-Click. It’ll also keep you from going over your spending limit on Amazon, too — it gives you time to think about that item to determine if you really can live without it. Sometimes the price of an Amazon item added to your Wishlist will fall if you wait to make the purchase.
Remove your Card from your Profile. 1-Click shopping is amazing – but to effectively make it work you have to store your card in your Amazon profile. And while it can be really handy to do that, sometimes it can make you spend more… want something? Just push the button – POOF! You have it! Now you just have to wait for it to be delivered. I would suggest removing your card from your Amazon profile – it forces you to have to go find your purchase/wallet if you need to buy something… dig around inside, and re-punch in the number. Seems like a lot of headache – right? It can be, but that’s the point – to deter you from buying too many items you might not necessarily “need” at the time.
Shopping on Amazon is not a budget breaker – IF you learn how to be wise when you approach your shopping habits – whether online or using 1-Click. Try to fill your basket with things you need, and use the wish list feature to identify those splurge items that you hope to pick up later on.
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